BernCity

What BernCity does

BernCity (legal entity: Verein BernCity, UID CHE-113.184.387) is a Swiss association under Civil Code Art. 60 ff. headquartered at Kramgasse 82, Bern, that represents businesses, property owners, organizations, and residents of Bern's inner city. It pursues political advocacy for member interests at municipal and cantonal levels and coordinates flagship urban initiatives including the Sauberkeits-Charta (cleanliness charter), CasaBlanca (graffiti removal), and Clean-Up-Days. The organization is led by President Milena Daphinoff (elected November 2025) and Managing Director Simon Haldemann (effective January 2025), supported by a four-person operations team handling finance, the Geschenkcard, and communications/marketing.

The association operates a commercial product layer anchored on the BernCity Geschenkcard, a reloadable prepaid debit card loadable with CHF 20–500 and valid for five years, redeemable at over 220 member businesses across retail, gastronomy, services, leisure, and culture. A complementary BernCity Mitarbeiterkarte provides employees of member businesses a 10% discount at participating stores. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer e-commerce webshop (Craft Commerce on Craft CMS) with 35+ physical Verkaufsstellen including Manor, Loeb, Coop, and Migros; payment processing is handled via Worldpay and PostFinance, with corporate invoicing available for B2B gift card orders.

BernCity's revenue model is hybrid: subscription-style annual membership fees (FTE-tiered, CHF 500–9,500 for Aktiv-Mitgliedschaft; CHF 400 plus revenue share for outer-district Geschenkcard-Mitgliedschaft) combined with transaction-based take-rates on Geschenkcard loads and redemptions, plus tiered Platinum/Gold/Silver sponsorship from anchor partners including Coop, Migros, Berner Zeitung BZ, Bern Parking, and Bank EEK. Customer segments span SMB retailers, hospitality operators, service providers, and property owners in Bern's inner city, with a non-voting associate tier for organizations and individuals outside the inner city. Data is hosted on Microsoft cloud infrastructure in Switzerland; the organization does not disclose financials.

Name

BernCity

Legal name

Verein BernCity

Website

https://berncity.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BernCity is a Swiss association representing Bern inner-city businesses, operating the BernCity Geschenkcard (a reloadable prepaid card accepted at 220+ local merchants) and the Mitarbeiterkarte employee discount program, funded by tiered membership fees and transaction take-rates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local business association / city marketing

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepaid Card Program Managers & Issuers (BIN Sponsors) (FSAMANAK)

Keywords

• City marketing association
• Closed-loop gift card
• Inner-city retail network
• Membership association
• Local business advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees paid by businesses, organizations, and individuals in the Bern inner city. Fees are tiered by full-time equivalent count or annual budget. Revenue also includes Gift Card membership fees outside the inner city.
2. Geschenkcard Sales Commission / Take Rate: BernCity retains a portion of Geschenkcard loads and redemptions as a transaction-based revenue stream. Annahmestellen (acceptance points) and Verkaufsstellen (sales points) process card loads and redemptions with monthly electronic settlement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BernCity is an association for the inner city of Bern that issues and operates its own prepaid gift card (Geschenkcard), accepted at more than 220 partner businesses, alongside an employee discount card (Mitarbeiterkarte). It also runs membership tiers (Aktiv, Geschenkcard, Passiv) for businesses, service providers, property owners, organizations, associations and residents, and acts as the political and public-relations representative of Bern's old-town district on urban, cleanliness and tourism matters.

Product overview

BernCity operates a unified local commerce ecosystem centered on the BernCity Geschenkcard, a prepaid debit gift card accepted at over 220 businesses in Bern's inner city. The core offering is supplemented by the BernCity Mitarbeiterkarte (employee discount card), both of which are tied to a multi-tiered membership program (Aktiv-Mitgliedschaft, Geschenkcard-Mitgliedschaft, Passiv-Mitgliedschaft) for businesses, property owners, and residents. All products are managed through a webshop platform and coordinated by the BernCity association, which also conducts advocacy and public relations for Bern's inner city.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BernCity Geschenkcard A prepaid closed-loop gift card that can be loaded with a chosen value and redeemed at more than 220 participating shops, restaurants and service businesses in Bern's Innenstadt. Sold to private gift buyers and to companies (with corporate invoice) for employee gifts and incentives.
• BernCity Mitarbeiterkarte An employee-focused discount and benefit card usable at participating BernCity member businesses, designed for companies that want to provide a local, lifestyle-based benefit to their staff.
• Aktiv-Mitgliedschaft Full membership category for businesses, trade operators and service providers in Bern's inner city. Members gain representation in political and public-affairs work, participation in district marketing initiatives, and access to member networking and events.
• Geschenkcard-Mitgliedschaft Optional membership tier that lets a business accept the BernCity Geschenkcard at its premises and so participate in the closed-loop prepaid card network, without taking the full Aktiv membership.
• Passiv-Mitgliedschaft Light-touch ("passive") membership category for property owners, organisations, associations and residents of the Bern inner city, giving them access to information and a voice in the Verein without the higher Aktiv fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• Geschenkcard accepted at over 220 member businesses across shopping, dining, services, leisure, and culture categories in Bern

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and secondary.

• Sauberkeits-Charta Supporting CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Joint initiative of Bern's retail, hospitality, and event businesses under the Sauberkeits-Charta umbrella, coordinated by BernCity. Includes Reinhard AG, Migros Aare, Denner AG, Aldi Suisse AG, Lidl Schweiz AG, Kursaal Bern AG, McDonald's, Manor AG, IG Detailhandel Schweiz, Bernexpo AG, Valora Schweiz AG, Coop Genossenschaft, Selecta AG, Gastro Stadt Bern, Swiss Cigarette, and Loeb AG. Goal: reduce littering through 30+ measures.
• CoopflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCoop is a Platinum Partner of BernCity. As one of Switzerland's largest retail cooperatives, Coop operates a department store and numerous supermarkets and restaurants in Bern. The partnership provides high-visibility logo placement in BernCity communications.
• MigrosflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMigros is a Platinum Partner of BernCity. As one of Switzerland's largest retail companies, Migros operates multiple supermarkets, restaurants, and take-aways in Bern. The partnership provides prominent logo presence in BernCity communications.
• Berner Zeitung BZcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBerner Zeitung BZ is a Gold Partner and is the leading subscribed daily newspaper in the canton of Bern, with core competencies in regional reporting and sports coverage.
• Bern Parking (Parkleitsystem Bern AG)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerBern Parking operates the parking guidance system for Bern's eight car parks, indicating available spaces. Silver Partner of BernCity.
• Bank EEK (Einwohner-Ersparniskasse)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerBank EEK is Bern's universal bank serving city residents for over 200 years. Silver Partner of BernCity.
• Bern Welcome (Bern-Netzwerk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBernCity is a member of Bern Welcome's Bern-Netzwerk, supporting tourism and city promotion activities.
• Erster Advent BernsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBernCity is a member of Erster Advent Bern, participating in the first Advent market in Bern's lower old town.
• idééBERNsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBernCity is a proud partner of idéeBERN, supporting cultural diversity in Bern. idéeBERN has organized Bern-related cultural events since 1972.
• Klimaplattform der WirtschaftsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBernCity is a member of the Climate Platform for Business, engaging in sustainability initiatives.
• Vereinigte Altstadtleiste VALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBernCity is a member of the Vereinigte Altstadtleiste VAL, the umbrella organization of Bern's old town merchant associations (Kramgassleist, Kesslergass-Gesellschaft, Leist der unteren Altstadt, Matteleist, Rathausgass-Brunngass-Leist). Members of VAL receive a discount on BernCity membership.
• CasaBlancasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasaBlanca cleans graffiti and vandalism from facades to improve safety perception and preserve city aesthetics. BernCity actively supports this initiative and is represented on CasaBlanca's board.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GastroSuisse: National industry association for the Swiss hospitality sector (with a regional GastroBern chapter active in Bern). Provides broader advocacy and member services for gastronomy — a core constituent of BernCity's Geschenkcard acceptance network.
• HotellerieSuisse: National umbrella association for Swiss hotels. BernCity's membership includes Hotel Schweizerhof Bern and Sorell Hotels Bern; HotellerieSuisse operates at industry-wide scope where BernCity operates at inner-city scope.
• Schweiz Tourismus (Switzerland Tourism): National tourism marketing organization. Overlaps with BernCity's destination-promotion and city-attractiveness remit, but operates at a national scale versus BernCity's hyper-local Bern inner-city focus.

Direct peers

• Innenstadt Luzern (IG Innenstadt Luzern): Association of Lucerne's inner-city businesses and gastronomy focused on vitality and appeal of the city center. Comparable scale and remit to BernCity and similarly combines member services with collective advocacy.
• ProBasel: Marketing and advocacy association for Basel retailers, gastronomy, and service providers — same Verein-style model of political representation, member networking, and city-center promotion that BernCity runs for Bern's inner city.
• City Verein Zürich: Business association representing Zürich's inner-city merchants and property owners, structurally and functionally analogous to BernCity — advocacy, networking, and a closed-loop inner-city gift card. Closest one-to-one counterpart in another major Swiss city.
• Wirtschaftskammer Bern (Kammer des Kantons Bern): Regional chamber of commerce covering the Canton of Bern — broader geographic scope than BernCity but overlapping member base and political advocacy function, particularly for trade, retail, and service-sector policy.

Regional players

• Bern Welcome: Tourism and city-promotion organization for the Bern region, of which BernCity is itself a network partner. Operates in the same regional ecosystem promoting Bern as a destination and event location, complementing rather than competing with BernCity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/berncity.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berncity
• Instagraminstagram.com/berncity.ch
• TikToktiktok.com/@berncity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BernCity